Animal Services Report Expected Next Week

by Gabe Bullard on May 2, 2011

The long-awaited review of Louisville Metro Animal Services will be delivered to Mayor Greg Fischer next week.

The review was ordered in January after years of continued problems in the embattled agency. When the report is finalized, it will be used to guide a search committee in finding a permanent director for LMAS, which is currently under its third interim director in less than two years.

Search committee member Jessica Reid of No Kill Louisville says she wishes the choice of a director had come before the final report.

“I think the review is a fantastic idea, however I think that we should still move forward with finding and hiring somebody who can think outside the box, who can be flexible, who can manage—because that’s what’s been lacking there for years is strong management,” she says.

Fischer originally planned to appoint a director last month, but delayed the decision to the widen the field of candidates.

The report will also be used to determine whether any services—such as animal adoption—should be handled by outside agencies. Reid opposes privatization and suggests more be done to improve LMAS before any services are changed.

“If it’s run right, if it’s run well, if you work with the community, it can become a positive place and a revenue engine,” she says. “If you do it right, it just can.”

We’ll have an in-depth discussion on the report and its ramifications tomorrow on Here and Now at 1:00.